Tides of Change
by ironheartwriter
Summary: When an old friend turns into a new foe, Yugi might need more help than he thinks. YugixOC, Vaseshipping. Sequel to 'Return to the Past' ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Welcome to the sequel to 'Return to the Past.' This story focuses on Yugi and my OC Mariah, who is a descendant of Mana's. I suggest you read Return to the Past before reading this though. Without anymore talk, let's get to it!**

**Prologue  
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Yugi Muto sighed softly as he rolled over on his bed with a low yawn. He opened his eyes and rubbed them for a moment as they adjusted to the light that filled his bedroom. A smile came to his face as he saw the still sleeping form of his girlfriend Mariah beside him, her long brown and blond streaked hair falling over her face as she slept. He thought for a moment, remembering what had happened the night before. He and Mariah had both fallen asleep watching a movie, and somewhere around three in the morning, they'd both woken up and trudged to bed together. He listened for a moment to her soft breathing before he swept her hair out of the way to gently trace the tattoo she had recently gotten on the back of her shoulder, the Japanese Kanji for courage. The fact that she'd gotten it brought a smile to Yugi's lips, the last thing Yugi would have thought Mariah needed was a reminder to be courageous.

A lot had changed over the last few months, since Atem was no longer sharing his body and living in the past with Mana. Not long after he'd returned, his grandfather had a sudden heart attack in his sleep and was gone by the time that Yugi had found him. Since then he had graduated high school, and took over running the game shop on his own, with Mariah assisting him. He still dueled frequently, Mariah being his biggest cheerleader as his group of friends had gone their separate ways after finishing High School. Joey was still around, but Tristan had gone to explore the world, while Tea...

A jolt of anger surged through Yugi, and as if she could hear his thoughts, Mariah's head suddenly sprung up, "Huh...? Wha...?" She looked over her shoulder, her eyes still hazy with sleep, before she turned over and snuggled up to Yugi, her eyes closing once again.

Yugi cringed slightly. He'd forgotten that Mariah took after Mana in some ways. She wasn't a magician like Mana, but there was something inside of her that somehow let her know whenever Yugi was angry or in pain. Yugi had been confused about a few things after returning from Egypt, and for his own sanity, he decided to trace both his and Mariah's families back to Ancient Egypt, with some help from Ishizu and Kaiba, who had access to records that nobody could even dream about. It turned out that they had a common bond, both of them coming from Mana and Atem's bloodlines. At some point, according to the research Yugi had done, Mana and Atem had two children, a son and a daughter. Mariah was a descendant of the son, while Yugi was a descendant of the daughter. That was the only common link that their two families had in those five thousand years that had passed, and Yugi was just fine with that. He'd be a little more worried if he and Mariah were more closely related than that.

While he got lost in his thoughts of the hours of research he had put in to tracing his and Mariah's lineages, Yugi didn't realize that Mariah had decided to not return to sleep. Her fingers traced his bare chest with a feather-light touch, and he glanced down at her, "Good morning," He said, kissing the top of her head.

"Is it?" Mariah asked, sitting up a bit, a smirk flashing across her face. At first Yugi had gotten a chill each time Mariah had smirked at him when they got together. Her relationship to his bloodline was evident in that smirk. "I wouldn't have been able to tell by the way your anger surged through me before. What's got you so angry, Yugi?" She asked in a soft voice, putting her head back down on his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about Tea."

Mariah scrunched her nose and shook her head, "Why?" She asked, her voice laced with disgust. Yugi knew any time he mentioned Tea's name, Mariah's blood began to boil. Mariah wasn't possessive when it came to him, but Tea had tried more than once to break them up, and that was something Mariah couldn't stand.

"Thinking about the last few months," Yugi answered with a soft sigh. He moved his fingers through Mariah's straight hair before he kissed her forehead. "You know, I don't think I could have made it through them without you."

Mariah frowned as she looked up into Yugi's amythest eyes, "You miss him, don't you?" She asked in a knowing tone. She knew very well about Yugi and Atem's bond, though she didn't know Atem particularly well herself, she'd heard each and every of the stories Yugi had to tell about him.

"Will you stop that?" Yugi asked with a laugh. He sighed softly. That was the thing about the power Mariah had. It was almost like she could hear his every thought and she somehow knew exactly what to respond to it, even if it was painful for him to hear.

"I'm sorry," Mariah sighed back. She sometimes worried that Yugi might tire of her constantly being able to know what was wrong with him and get annoyed with her for the power she couldn't control. "You know that you're the only one I have this problem with. I'm fine around everyone else, it's just when you and I are together."

Yugi nodded, "And I don't mind it, at least not most of the time." He hugged Mariah close and sighed contently, "So, it's Saturday, my Mariah. What would you like to do today?"

The wicked smirk appeared on Mariah's face once again as she looked up at Yugi and Yugi felt a chill shoot through him that partially had to do with the smirk, and partially with the black shadow tendril that was suddenly snaking its way up his bed, "What the hell...?"

Yugi looked around as the black tendrils appeared all around the bed, and suddenly something else caught his eye in the doorway, a pair of sparkling amethyst eyes, not unlike his own. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he heard the familiar dark chuckle, _Not interrupting, am I?_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Tea bashing ahead!**

Chapter 1

"Atem!" Yugi said, getting to his feet as Mariah watched him carefully, her green eyes watching Yugi as he headed for the door. He opened the door fully, amazed to see that Atem really was standing in front of him. He hadn't seen the Pharaoh since he'd stayed in the past with Mana, and that had been several months earlier. He grinned as he looked into Atem's eyes and took in the sight of the Pharaoh in front of him. Though his skin was bronze, he still looked exactly as Yugi remembered, though without all the gold jewelry and the robe. He was actually dressed in what would be considered normal clothes for the Twenty-First Century. "Where's Mana?" He asked, knowing that the two couldn't be far apart as their souls were connected.

"She's downstairs making some breakfast," Atem said. He glanced over to the bed and saw Mariah curled up, looking right back at him, "Hello, Mariah," He said with a smile.

"Hi," Mariah responded simply. She got up from the bed and sauntered over to Yugi, kissing his cheek, "You so owe me," She breathed in his ear, sending a chill straight through his spine, as she headed into the bathroom, wanting a shower more than anything.

Yugi smiled guiltily as he turned his attention back to Atem, "Sorry about that... She just doesn't know you very well, and if you probably would have come three minutes later..." Yugi's cheeks burned slightly and Atem instantly understood.

"I'm sorry, Yugi," Atem said sincerely. His own cheeks turned a little red as he looked over the young man that Yugi had become. He had definitely grown since Atem had last seen him, as they now saw more eye-to-eye, though Atem was still taller. Atem could also tell that there was just something overall different about his former host, though he couldn't exactly pinpoint what that was.

"It's fine," Yugi said with a wave of his hand. "Mariah and I never go _that_ far, but she'd like it even less if you had walked in on us doing more than just cuddling." He went over to his dresser and pulled out a t-shirt before turning back to Atem, "Come on, let's go downstairs. Mariah will be a lot more welcoming and cheerful once she's showered and smells food."

Atem nodded once and followed Yugi down the stairs to the kitchen, where Mana stood by the stove, the smell of scrambled eggs and coffee filling the room. Yugi watched as Atem's face seemed to light up when he saw Mana. He walked over to Mana and wrapped his arms around her from behind before he kissed her cheek, "That smells heavenly, my Mana."

Mana leaned back on Atem for a moment before she shook her head at him, "I _told_ you to not bother them," She scolded Atem as she turned around in his arms. "They would have come down eventually!" She grinned over at Yugi, "Hey, Yugi!" She said, pulling out of Atem's arms, making sure to turn off the stove as she did so. She hugged Yugi close, also noticing how he had grown, "I swear, you're looking more like Atem than ever, except for your eyes. Those are definitely still Yugi eyes."

Yugi hugged Mana back, not missing how much Mariah really looked like Mana. Though Mana's hair was wild and solid chocolate brown, while Mariah's was chocolate brown and blond highlighted and ramrod straight, and while Mana's eyes were blue-green, Mariah's eyes were dark green. Other than that, they had the same face and eyes, though her smirk was all Atem's, "I'm sorry, Yugi, I tried to tell Atem to not bother you two, but he's just as stubborn as ever."

"It's fine," Yugi said with a smile, "We were up, just being lazy. Saturday is the one day we keep the shop closed now, so we tend to stay in bed as long as possible."

It was then that Atem realized something. The something that he had been trying to figure out that was different with Yugi, "Yugi, did you say that you and Mariah are running the shop now?"

Yugi looked over at Atem and nodded, "Grandpa passed away not long after I returned here after helping you return Mana back to normal. It's thanks to Mariah that I even managed to open the shop again. She wouldn't let me just sit and wallow, and trust me, I gave her hell for it at times, but she always stuck by me until I was actually happy to have the shop open again."

"Yugi, I'm so sorry," Atem said, a frown coming to his face. He walked over to Yugi, giving his former host a squeeze of the shoulder. "I wish you would have gotten in contact with me and told me what happened. You know Mana and I would have been here in an instant."

"I know," Yugi said with a nod before he smiled at Atem, "But you and I both have separate lives now. I don't want you to feel like you're just sitting around waiting for me to tell you some bad news that's going to make you want to come back here. You deserve to have a happy life with Mana and be able to come and go as you please."

"That's true, but you're still one of my best friends, Yugi," Atem said as he sat by the table, the sound of faint footsteps reaching his ears. "Don't think that just because I went back to my own time that all of that has changed." He looked over at Mana who had gone back to the stove to transfer the eggs to a big plate. Though Yugi couldn't hear a word exchanged between the two of them, he could tell that Atem was talking to her using the mind link that they had due to their infused spirits as Mana nodded without even looking back at him.

Yugi looked up as Mariah entered the kitchen, her long brunette and blond hair falling down her back in a damp curtain. She walked over to Yugi and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she smiled and looked over at Mana and Atem, "Sorry about that," She said to Atem, biting down on her lower lip. "I'm really not a morning person."

Atem was relieved that the way Mariah's eyes had been watching him before had nothing to do with how she might have felt about him and that she had just been tired when she had been watching him from her place on the bed. As he looked at her, he could see more of Mana in her features with each passing moment, "It's alright," He said with a shrug. "Mana's not the best morning person either."

Mana, who had just happened to be behind Atem at that moment, whacked the back of his head with one hand, balancing a plate of eggs and a pot of coffee on the other, "Be nice, Atem, or you'll be sleeping on the floor tonight," She said, sticking her tongue out at him as she placed the food and coffee on the table. She grinned at Mariah, "Well, it's nice to actually see you, rather than be inside of your body, Mariah. How are you doing?"

"Amazing," Mariah responded as she sat down beside Yugi. She grinned at Mana, "I guess I really do have you to thank, Mana. You're the reason I found Yugi."

"Well, I didn't really give you much of a choice when I took over your body," Mana said with a guilty smile. "But I'm happy that some good did come out of it for you. You seem so much happier than you were the last time I was here."

"Probably because I _am_ happier," Mariah said with a shrug as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sighed contently. "For the most part anyway. I'd be a lot happier if that bitch Tea would stop trying to hang around."

"_What_?" Atem said, blinking hard. He was a little confused that Yugi let Mariah talk like that about someone who he knew to be a very good friend of his. He looked back and forth between Mariah and Yugi before Yugi shook his head.

"Don't get angry at her for that, Atem," Yugi said grimly. He sighed softly as he started to eat, "Tea's been giving her hell since we started going out and getting more serious. They both wound up in the hospital one night thanks to Tea provoking her."

Atem looked at Mariah. It was hard for him to imagine the girl who was sitting beside Yugi perfectly content with her cup of coffee could put someone like Tea in the hospital, "You may as well tell the story, Yugi," Mariah said, a smirk appearing on her face. "I don't think Atem here is going to believe you until you do."

"I didn't say-"

"You didn't have to," Mariah cut him off, her smirk still in place, and that smirk sent a chill up Atem's back now that he actually paid attention to it. "You've got the same disbelieving look that Yugi does at times."

_Is that what it feels like when I smirk at someone?_ Atem thought to Mana, who had been sitting in her seat giggling.

_You know it,_ Mana responded with a laugh. _That's definitely your smirk right there, Atem._

Atem shook his head and turned his attention back to Yugi, "Let's hear the story then," He said with a nod.

"I might need your help with the story, Mariah," Yugi said as he started to think back to the chaotic night. "It started out as a graduation party. It was me, Tristan, Joey, Tea, Duke, and Bakura at a club. Mariah's own graduation party was that night too, but she told me that she would catch up with us later that night. Tea, Joey, Tristan, and Duke all started drinking, and by the time Mariah turned up, they were all either tipsy or completely drunk. When Tea saw Mariah come over and kiss me, she turned into this completely different person."

"Different how?" Atem asked, knowing already that the thought alone of a bunch of barely legal teenagers getting drunk wasn't a good one.

"She pulled me away from Yugi by the hair," Mariah continued the story, knowing that Yugi was a little patchy when it came to the full story of that night. The only reason Mariah remembered it so clearly was because of the police reports that had been filed. "And she started yelling some crap at me about not being good enough for Yugi and telling me that I didn't really care about him. She then tried to push me against a table, and now, looking back on it, I should have let her do that to me because when I stood my ground, she came back at me with a beer bottle that she smashed against my arm when I tried to block it."

"She did _what?_" Atem asked, his eyes widening as his jaw dropped. Mariah shook her head and held up her right arm where several jagged scars were still visible against her pale skin. Atem turned his head to Mana, a frown on his face, _Can't you heal those for her?_

_I could, if she wanted me to,_ Mana responded. "But wait, so that's what got you sent to the hospital, Mariah, but what about Tea?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly just going to walk away from her, despite the fact that I was bleeding pretty badly," Mariah said. "I know it was stupid of me, and that Tea was drunk at the time, but I still had to get her away from me, because even after she smashed that bottle on my arm, she kept coming back for more, despite the drunk Joey, Tristan, and Duke all trying to hold her back. I wound up kicking her pretty hard so she fell into another table and cracked it with that thick skull of hers and getting a concussion in the process."

Atem and Mana both flinched. It seemed like a lot had changed in the last few months since they'd been in the Twenty-First Century. Atem had thought, at the time that he'd left, that Tea was going to remain a good friend of Yugi's. Now, he couldn't seem to find it wrong that Yugi held such anger towards her.

"Along with that, Tea just comes over here, or somehow manages to find me while I'm out in the city every other week or so, trying to either flirt with me, give me reasons why I should dump Mariah, or just to try and provoke Mariah into going after her," Yugi said as he finished the food on his plate. "And Mariah's actually just taken all of the things Tea has said and just ignored them since that night in the club."

"Why would I bother stooping to her level?" Mariah asked with a frown. She drained the rest of her coffee and sighed, "I'm not a vengeful person like that. I mean, yeah, Tea pisses me off, and I'd love to kick her into another table and see how well she fairs, but it's not worth it to me. I'm happy with my life the way it is, and I know, as much as I hate Tea, there's one reason I can't go after her like I want to."

"Why's that?" Mana asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Because as much as he might deny it, Yugi still worries about Tea, and even I can see it."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I just wanted to post a quick note before I started this chapter. This past week I nearly made the choice to just let this story die and move on to something else. I've been writing both fanfics** **and actual stories for most of my life, and I've made characters do things that people don't agree with, but hey, that's my choice as an author, isn't it? I just ask that my choice of what the characters do, whether they be OC or canon characters, is respected, whether you agree with it or not. With that being said, let the story continue!**

Chapter 2

Yugi blinked hard as he heard what Mariah said, his jaw dropping slightly, "_What_ are you talking about, Mariah?" He asked disbelievingly. He shook his head as she walked over to the dishwasher and placed her coffee mug into it, "You know you mean more to me than Tea does."

"True," Mariah said with a nod. She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "But a few months of a relationship with me doesn't take away years of friendship with her. As much as she hates me and wants to break us up, there's still a piece of your mind that cares for her and hopes she comes to her senses. Are you _really_ going to argue with me about that?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. "You know how well I can sense things."

Yugi sighed softly. He knew there really wasn't a point in arguing with Mariah if she had sensed something from him. He just didn't like that she sometimes seemed to know what he was feeling better than he did.

"Sorry," Mariah said in a soft voice. "You know if I could turn it off, I would." With that she left the room, leaving a slightly confused silence behind her.

"What is she talking about, Yugi?" Atem asked, finally breaking the silence. He felt like he and Mana had both missed something in the conversation. "What does she wish she could turn off?"

"Mariah has this... power, I guess you would call it," Yugi explained. "I guess it comes from being a descendant of Mana's. She can sense whatever I'm feeling, but it only works on me, she can't sense anything from anyone else."

"When did you realize she could do that?" Atem asked, blinking hard. It was the first time he'd heard of anyone in the Twenty First Century having powers that weren't related to the Millennium Items.

"A short while after I came back from helping you save Mana," Yugi said after thinking for a moment. He sighed softly, "She does try to keep whatever she feels to herself, but every once in a while she feels a really strong emotion from me, like anger, and that seems to actually physically hurt her for a few seconds."

"Oh no," Mana said in a soft voice. She looked over at Atem and frowned before she looked over her shoulder through the door that Mana had disappeared through. "You don't think she has a connection to Yugi like I have to you, do you?"

Atem tilted his head as he considered what Mana said, "I truly don't know," He said. "Anything is possible, especially in our world."

Yugi sighed softly and moved his fingers through his hair, "I love Mariah, really, I do, but I think sometimes she purposely pulls away from me because she worries about her power interfering. I don't have a problem with her power, I actually find it cool that she has a little quirk like that. I hate that she thinks less of herself because of something she can't control."

"Well have you told her that?" Mana asked, a small smile on her face. "You know, Yugi, girls like to be reminded constantly that they really are loved," She said, smirking at Atem.

Yugi looked back and forth between his former partner and Mana, "Is there something you two aren't telling me?" He asked at last. "You both have been acting really strange since you came."

"Fine, Mana," Atem said with a soft chuckle. "You can tell him. I know you're dying to."

"Finally!" Mana said, jumping up. She held out her hand and her wand appeared. With a wave, she held up her left hand, "Lookit, Yugi!" She said with a big grin as a gold ring appeared on her hand. "It finally happened!"

"You two got _married_?" Yugi asked with a laugh. He shook his head. He knew, thanks to the research he'd done, that they did eventually marry, but in their time they were still living their lives out. That thought sometimes confused Yugi, but in the end, he just decided to accept it. "How long ago?"

"A week?" Mana said, her voice somewhat uncertain. She laughed softly, "Yeah, it's really been a week already. Wow. And yes, I know that it's an obvious fact to _you_ that Atem and I are married, but I guess to me it's still kinda surreal..."

"Understandable," Yugi said with a shake of his head. Now that he was finally able to think of Atem as a completely separate person from himself, it only made sense to him that the Pharaoh would find his happiness in his own time. "So, Queen of Egypt... Must be awesome."

"Oh, it's _crazy!_" Mana laughed. "But you know, I really couldn't care if marrying Atem meant being Queen or not," She said with a shrug. "Atem once told me that I was stuck with him thanks to our souls being bound, but you know, I think it really goes much deeper than that."

"How much deeper could it go than our souls being bound together?" Atem asked before he could stop himself, earning another slap upside the head from Mana.

"Do _not_ make me abuse you in front of our descendants!" Mana responded with a laugh. She wrapped her arms around Atem's shoulders and kissed his cheeks. "Hey, maybe we should go out tonight," She said after a moment. "All four of us! We could try and get Mariah's mind off of whatever is bothering her, and we could get to know her better, Atem."

"How long are you guys staying for?" Yugi asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yugi," Atem said, arching an eyebrow. "I know we haven't been around for a while, but did you forget that Mana and I both possess enough power to get us back to Egypt at the same point that we left?"

Yugi shook his head, "Sorry. It _has_ been a while though. Going out tonight sounds like a good idea though. It might be just what Mariah needs."

"Hey, Yugi, I'm going out running for a bit," Mariah said, appearing in the doorway once again, earphones connected to her iPod in her ears. It was so loud that Yugi doubted she had heard a single word that he had said a moment before she appeared. She was gone before he could even respond, but Yugi found himself slightly irritated at that.

He got up and ran out of the kitchen, leaving a confused Mana and Atem behind him. Atem rose to his feet, but Mana stopped him, her hand on his arm, "Leave them," She told him. "You learned how to stand on your own, he needs to continue to do the same."

Yugi ran down the stairs, catching Mariah just as she was about to open the door to the shop to leave. He put his hand on the door, stopping her from opening it, "Mariah, wait."

Mariah blinked and pulled her iPod out of her pocket, pausing the music, "What's up, Yugi?" She asked, pulling her earbuds out.

Yugi sighed softly, "You're doing it again," He said with a shake of his head. Mariah arched a brow and Yugi knew she was a little confused on what he meant, "You're pulling away from me," He said. "You do it every time you feel something and you feel bad that you've felt it."

A wave of guilt passed through Mariah's body and she frowned as she looked at Yugi. She thought back for a moment and realized that since she mentioned what she'd sensed about Tea, all she had wanted was to be alone, "I'm sorry," She said at last. "I just don't want you to start hating me because of this stupid power."

Yugi shook his head, "Mariah, I don't hate you, and I can't imagine hating you. I know you don't have control over your power when it comes to me. Hell, I'm the one who should be apologizing every time I get angry at someone."

"Don't ever apologize for the way you feel," Mariah said with a soft tsk. She reached out and cupped Yugi's cheek, her entire demeanor seeming to soften as she did so. "You're only human, Yugi. We've made it through worse things than my powers being a pain in the neck. I promise, I'll work on the whole pulling away thing." She leaned over and kissed him softly and Yugi couldn't help but relax into the kiss.

"Atem and Mana want to go out with us tonight," Yugi said, resting his forehead against Mariah's as they separated. "I was thinking maybe we could show them a good time, take them to one of the clubs or something."

Mariah arched another eyebrow and smirked, "You don't hold alcohol well, my Yugi."

Yugi rolled his eyes, "Thank you, Madam Obvious," He said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "But that doesn't mean we can't go out and have a good time. Listen to some music, and I know you love to dance. Besides, they've never been to one."

Mariah nodded once, "Sure," She said at last. "Though, make sure to tell Mana to conjure up a pair of IDs for herself and Atem. I know they look a hell of a lot like our twins, but I'd _really_ rather not deal with questions from anyone about how they need an ID to get into the club."

"For sure," Yugi said, a smile coming to his face. He was relieved to see that Mariah had once again relaxed. He kissed her once more before he took a step back, "Have a good run then, Mariah," He said, giving her arm a squeeze as he turned to go back up the stairs, a smirk appearing on his face as he purposely let himself feel one emotion in particular.

"I love you too, my Yugi," Mariah said with a soft laugh, feeling the wave of emotions that Yugi sent her way. She put her earbuds back in her ears and left the game shop at last, locking the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come <em>on<em>, Mana! You promised!"

Mariah rolled her eyes as she looked her lookalike and ancestor up and down. She herself was dressed and ready to go, her long, highlighted hair falling not straight down her back like was usual, but in elegant waves. Meanwhile, she stood holding her straightening iron, her eyes narrowed at Mana, "You promised you'd let me do your hair for tonight and now all of a sudden you don't trust me?"

Mana eyed the iron in Mariah's hand carefully, "What _is_ that thing?" She asked, her tone wary. Mariah once again rolled her eyes and snapped the iron threateningly.

"It's called a hair straightener or a hair iron," Mariah explained. "It will make your hair straight like mine normally is." She clicked her tongue impatiently, "Come on, you're in the Twenty-First Century! Time to start acting like it!" With that, she pushed Mana into a chair in front of the mirror and glared at Mana's reflection, "I'm warning you, you better stay still. I don't want the Pharaoh to be after my blood because I burned your ear because _you_ flinched for no good reason."

"Okay, okay, I'll be good," Mana said with a resigned sigh. She was quite happy that she and Atem lived in a time where all these things hadn't been invented yet. Things seemed to be much more simple back in her own time. She sat still and watched as Mariah slowly transformed her hair from its normal all over the place style into a sleek and straight style. She could hardly tell the difference between how she and Mariah looked, aside from the fact that Mariah's hair was highlighted and thus lighter than hers.

"Wow," Mana said in a soft voice when Mariah finally stepped away from her and turned off the iron to let it cool. She moved her fingers through her hair in disbelief, "You and I could really be twins now."

"We could have passed for twins before I went at your hair," Mariah said with a smirk. "But I wanted to give your lovely Pharaoh something to look at and be even more proud of tonight." She motioned for Mana to follow her and led her out of the bathroom. The bedroom was empty, as she had hoped, since she'd kicked Yugi and Atem out and banished them to the living room. She then motioned for Mana to sit on the bed while she shuffled through her closet. While she herself wore a black dress with silver designs sparkling around it, along with black heels, she wasn't quite certain what Mana should wear.

"Ah!" She said finally, pulling a soft, yet shimmery gold dress from her closet at last. She grinned and walked over to Mana, "Try this on," She said before walking back to the closet to find the shoes that went with the dress. "We're the same height but I just want to make sure my clothes look the same on you too."

Mariah kept her back turned while Mana changed and when she heard the zipper pull up and Mana's squeal of delight, she turned around, "Wow, it looks great on you!" She said with a laugh. "Much better than it does with my pale skin."

"It's beautiful!" Mana cooed, looking at herself in the mirror and giving a little spin. "And it's so soft too."

"You can keep it, if you like," Mariah said with a small smile. "Like I said, it suits your skin more than it does mine. I bought it a while ago but I think I've worn it maybe once?"

"Thank you so much, Mariah!" Mana said, hugging her reincarnation close. Mariah was slightly taken aback by the sudden show of affection, but after a moment she hugged Mana back.

"You're welcome," Mariah said with a nod. She took a step back and grinned at Mana as she looked her up and down, "Your Pharaoh is definitely a lucky man."

"As is Yugi," Mana said with a smile. "It's a shame I didn't get to know you better the last time I was here, Mariah. Now I can really be proud of the person who you are."

Mariah's cheeks burned and she bit down on her lower lip, a bit uncertain of what to say. She was, thankfully, spared by the voice that carried up the stairs, "Mariah, aren't you two ready yet?"

Mariah rolled her eyes as she glanced at the clock. She and Mana were only ten minutes late, "Come on, Mana. Time to see just how much Atem really likes what I've done to you."

Mariah headed down the stairs first, walking somewhat shakily in the heels as it had been a while since she'd worn them. But once she saw Yugi's face light up, everything about her seemed to once again relax and walking became easier for her, "You look beautiful," Yugi said in a soft voice, nuzzling Mariah's cheek.

Mariah smirked, "Just wait until you see what I did to Mana." She looked Atem and Yugi over, both of them dressed similarly, with jeans and t-shirts, ones that Mariah remembered buying for Yugi. "I guess it's good I accidentally bought things a little too big for you in the beginning," She laughed softly.

Yugi nodded once as Mana finally started to come down the stairs. Both he and Mariah watched as Atem's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, "M-Mana?"

Mana's musical laugh filled the room as she walked over to Atem and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling her nose against his, "Why, Pharaoh, are you _actually_ speechless?"

Atem looked from Mana to Mariah and back again before he wrapped his arms around Mana, holding her close, "Mana, you look more beautiful than the Goddesses of Egypt themselves," He said in a low voice before he kissed her softly. Right on cue, a soft, 'awww!' broke the two apart. Atem glared over his shoulder at Mariah, who was sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're welcome," She said with a smirk. "Now come on! The night isn't going to last forever!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Mariah was trying very hard to not double over in laughter as she tried to teach Mana how to dance to the music of the Twenty-First Century. She might be a queen in Egypt, but Mariah could see that Mana was thoroughly uncomfortable on the dance floor with its blasting music and bright lights. But Mariah was happy that Mana was at least willing to attempt to dance with her, unlike the two other wet blankets that they'd brought with them. Mariah gave a spin as she headed back over to Atem and Yugi, somewhat out of breath as she arched an accusing brow at the two.

"Don't give _me_ that look, Mariah," Atem said with a soft chuckle. "Mana's the wild one, not me."

"Oh, good _god_!" Mariah rolled her eyes. She moved her fingers through her hair, "You two are the reason I need a drink," She said, reaching for her bag. She reached over Yugi, who grabbed her wrist, giving her an accusing look of his own. "Oh relax, my Yugi, I meant something non-alcoholic, but _very_ much sugar filled."

"Oh, great," Yugi sighed dramatically. When Mariah's trademark smirk appeared, he knew she was aware of the sarcasm in his voice "So you'll be bouncing off the walls all night."

"Well would you rather me be bouncing home, or would you prefer to drag me home?" Mariah asked wryly, crossing her arms over her chest, her credit card between her forefinger and middle finger. "If you two aren't going to loosen up, there's only one thing _to_ do."

Yugi couldn't help laughing as Mariah walked off. He shook his head as he looked over at Atem, who had remained quiet, "Is Mana always like that too?" He asked as he leaned back against the booth where they sat.

"I refuse to answer that question while Mana is in hitting range," Atem responded, his eyes flicking up as Mana appeared suddenly, as if Atem had summoned her himself.

"Where'd Mariah go?" Mana asked as she slid into the booth beside Atem, putting her head down on his shoulder. Atem's arm automatically went around her and she sighed contently. "I was having fun dancing with her."

"She went to get herself a drink," Yugi responded, glancing around the club. Something caught his eye and immediately his cheek burned, "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?" Atem asked, giving his young lookalike a curious look. Yugi opened his mouth to answer as he sank down in his seat a bit, but his voice was cut off by a shrill voice that carried through the club.

"Atem!"

Atem and Yugi both flinched as the voice hit their ears, "Oh, no," Atem echoed, shrinking down in his seat a bit as Yugi had as Tea Gardner approached the table. Atem had to control the way his eyes widened slightly as he set eyes on Tea for the first time in several long months. Her skirt was impossibly short and tight, and her top went a little too low for Atem's liking. He gripped Mana's hand possessively, _Do not let me go_, He thought to Mana, whose jaw had dropped slightly upon seeing Tea.

"Ateeeeem!" Tea dragged out his name as she leaned over a bit, giving both Yugi and Atem a view of her chest to which both men averted their eyes. "I didn't know you were back in this time!"

"Um..." Atem found his thoughts lost for a moment before Mana mentally nudged him as Tea's eyes flashed in his direction, giving him what would have been a seductive look to most men, "Yes. Mana and I came back here to visit Yugi and Mariah and tell them about _our wedding_," Atem said, trying to emphasize the point that he was now married to Mana.

"Oh," Tea said, her face falling for a moment before her eyes flicked back to Yugi, who kicked Atem under the table. "Speaking of Mariah, where _is_ that psychopath? I'd like to thank her for giving me a concussion last time I saw her."

Yugi's eyes flashed angrily and he rose from where he sat, "Don't you dare talk like Mariah in front of me like that," He growled. Tea backed down, but only slightly, a smirk on her face.

"Why, what's wrong, Yugi?" Tea asked, her voice somewhat taunting. "Did I say something that struck a nerve?"

At the bar, Mariah was blissfully unaware of the confrontation back at the table as she waited to get one of the bartender's attentions. All she wanted was her sugar rush, was that too much to ask for? She bounced on the balls of her feet a bit and finally one of the bartenders came over, but not before giving her chest a good look, making a scowl appear on her face, "Don't _even_ think about it," Mariah said simply. "Please, just give me a virgin Miami Vice, please," She said, holding out her credit card. The bartender scowled right back at her before he took her card and went to make her drink.

Mariah sighed softly as she leaned against the bar. Always the same thing at any club she went to. The male bartenders were often nice, but they also just happened to always need a good look at her chest before they would serve her, and that irritated her. It wasn't her fault she was born a female.

"Excuse me, miss, but if I told you had a sexy body, would you hold it against me?"

Mariah clawed at the bar before she turned to look at the man who had spoke. He was a good six feet or so tall, but that didn't bother Mariah. What did bother her was the cocky look on his face, "Sorry, jerk, I've got a boyfriend waiting for me. Maybe if you tried to talk to women like a real man, you wouldn't have to try lame pick up lines."

Mariah turned back to the bar, wondering just where the hell the bartender had gotten to with her credit card. She didn't even want her drink at that point, she just wanted to get back to Yugi. It was then that a shrill laugh reached her ears. Her head shot up and she whirled around, finding the source immediately. Her blood boiled as she saw Tea looking Yugi up and down.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me," Mariah groaned. She went to move along the bar, looking for the bartender among the ones working, but as she walked she felt a sharp pain to her side, "Ow... what the...?" She turned and saw the man who had hit on her smirking behind her, a needle in her hand. Her eyes widened as her vision started to go hazy, "What the fuck?" She demanded. "What did you just do to me?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," The man taunted as he held onto her while her mind continued to fade. "You won't remember a thing when you wake up."

"N-no," Mariah said, barely able to find her voice. Her entire body wouldn't respond to what she wanted to do. It took her a moment to realize the man was now carrying her in his arms toward the back of the club. "Please, let me go..."

Mariah closed her eyes as fear surged through her, _Yugi! Atem! Mana! Help!_

Back across the club, Yugi gasped as he felt Mariah's fear pass through him. It was the first time he'd ever felt emotions that weren't his own, but he knew instantly something was wrong. He jumped up from the booth, looking around, trying to find where Mariah had gone.

"Yugi, you felt that, didn't you?" Atem asked, as he too rose to his feet. While he was used to magical abilities and powers, he too wasn't entirely sure why or how Mariah had managed to send those feelings to him. He glanced to Mana and then his hard amethyst eyes landed on Tea, "Where's Mariah?" He asked her, not missing the look of guilt that passed through her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tea said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. "Didn't I just ask you the same question?"

Yugi gasped and doubled over as another painful wave of emotion passed through his body. Atem felt that one as well, though it didn't hurt him as badly, "Mana, cast a spell; find Mariah. If she's able to channel this much energy to contact Yugi like this, something's wrong."

Mana nodded once, her eyes closing. An orb of golden light appeared in front of her and floated over the lights of the club. Mana jumped over the back of the seat and Atem was right on her heels, while Yugi's eyes narrowed at Tea, "Tea, if I find out you had something to do with the reason that Mariah's freaking out like this, I'm through with you for good."

Mana followed the orb of light through the club, weaving through the people on the dance floor, and she found herself in front of a door with an employees only sign on it. She looked back at Atem uncertainly, "There's something back here," She said to Atem, her face falling. She tried the doorknob, but found it locked, "I have a bad feeling about this, Atem."

"Well I've known you long enough to know that your bad feelings are usually right," Atem said as Mana closed her eyes and did a spell mentally to unlock the door. Atem glanced down at the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, silently praying he wouldn't need to use its magic. He sidestepped Mana and kicked the door open. His eyes widened at what he saw in front of him. Mariah was tied to a chair, her long hair falling over her face, while a man stood behind her, tightening the ropes around her arms.

"What? Who are you?" The man demanded as Atem's eyes blazed, anger surging through his body. It wasn't just that Mariah was his descendant and Yugi's girlfriend. Seeing Mariah tied up like that, obviously against her will, sent a furious heat surging through his body. Without even thinking about it, the symbol of the Millennium Eye appeared on his forehead.

"Mind crush!" He snarled, the tall man getting knocked clear off his feet. Mana gasped softly and ran over to Mariah, starting to untie her as Atem realized he was shaking with anger. He walked over to help Mana, untying the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back.

"Atem, are you sure it was wise to do that to him?" Mana asked as she put her hand on Mariah's shoulder to stop her from falling forward. "How strongly did you hit him?"

"Strong enough to keep him out for a few hours," Atem responded gruffly. Mana knew not to press the issue, especially with how mad she could tell he was. "He dared to put his hands on her, Mana, and hold her against her will. You think Yugi wouldn't want the same done?"

Mana sighed softly as she looked Mariah up and down, "What do you think he did to her?" She swept Mariah's hair out of her face before she held onto her wrist carefully, "Well, her heart's beating, to say the least..."

Atem knelt down in front of Mariah and nudged her side gently, "Mariah?" He frowned when he didn't get a response, "Mariah, wake up."

When he didn't get a response from Mariah other than a weak groan, he looked up to Mana with worried eyes. Mana looked back at him before taking Mariah's hand and closing her eyes, starting to recite a spell silently. It was then that Atem heard the voice in his head, _Atem, where are you?_

Atem sighed softly as he stood up. He'd momentarily forgotten about Yugi with his concern for Mariah, _We're in one of the back rooms. I'm assuming the only one that just had the door kicked open..._ "What are you doing?" He asked Mana, watching as Mariah's body started to glow with a faint pink light, knowing Yugi would not be happy when he saw Mariah. It was then that he too saw the bruises forming along Mariah's arms and he hoped to high heaven that the man stayed down for his own sake.

He was answered by a sharp intake of breath from Mariah, whose eyes opened wide as if she had suddenly been jolted. She looked around wildly before her eyes started to slowly droop closed again, "Mariah," Atem said, kneeling down in front of her once again. "Mariah, listen to me. I don't know what that man did to you, but just know that you're safe, alright?"

A soft moan escaped Mariah's lips and she nodded once before her eyes closed completely once more as Yugi appeared in the doorway, "Mariah," he said in a soft voice as he walked over. He looked to Atem for an explanation, kneeling down beside him.

"I'm not entirely sure," Atem said with a shake of his head. He sighed softly and looked up at Mana, "I think she was given something by that man over there. I'm not sure whether we should just bring her home or take her to a hospital to see a doctor."

Yugi shook his head, "Mariah would just want to go home. She doesn't like doctors nor hospitals. She'd probably just freak out when she woke up. Let's take her home. She'll be comfortable there."

Atem looked to Mana who nodded once. Atem knew Yugi knew Mariah best, but he was still worried that she might need some more care than they would be able to give her, "Alright then. Mana will transport us there so we can avoid any questions from people around the club."

Yugi nodded once and they were all surrounded by a pink light as the club around them disappeared. They reappeared moments later in Yugi's bedroom. Mariah had moved into Atem's arms and Atem put Mariah onto Yugi's bed, where she curled up with a soft groan. Yugi sighed softly and walked over to the bed and pulled a small doll out from under the blankets before he pulled them over Mariah, kissing her cheek.

"Hey, what's that?" Mana asked, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at the doll in Yugi's hands. It had seemed strangely familiar to her.

"Oh, this?" Yugi asked, holding up the doll, a soft plushie Dark Magician Girl. He smiled as he held the doll out to Mana, "It's Mariah's Dark Magician Girl doll. She doesn't sleep without it."

"You didn't mention Mariah was a duelist," Atem said, his smirk coming to his face as he looked at the Dark Magician Girl doll.

"She's not," Yugi said with a shake of his head. He laughed softly, "It's kind of ironic, actually. She has a strange fascination for the Dark Magician Girl, so she collects Dark Magician Girl cards, toys, dolls... I guess it just runs in the family."

"I'm going to go make some coffee," Mana said with a soft sigh as Yugi walked over and gave the doll to Mariah, who even in her sleep curled up with the doll. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. I can't believe someone wanted to hurt her. Why Mariah? What's she ever done to anyone?"

Yugi frowned, not entirely sure he wanted to find out the reason that someone had targeted the only person left that he held close to his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

It was a long, hard night for all of them. Mana, Atem, and Yugi all drank several cups of coffee throughout the night, trying to stay awake. For the first few hours, Mariah was quiet, and it was all as if she was just sleeping normally. Then, around three AM, the screaming started. It had started off as Mariah twisting and turning in bed mumbling to herself, and then the screams came, as if someone was physically hurting her. Mana had been quick to cast a relaxation spell, but the spell didn't last long. Within an hour, she was screaming again, her entire body thrashing in the bed. Yugi's eyes widened with fear and horror as he tried to calm Mariah down, rubbing her arm and side, trying to talk to her to break through to her, but she still wouldn't wake.

"Enough of this," Atem said at last as the Millennium Eye appeared on his forehead. Mana's eyes widened slightly as she looked over to him nervously.

"Atem, what are you doing?" Mana asked, her hand on his shoulder. She knew that his powers were stronger than hers, but they also contained more darkness. He could do things she could never imagine doing.

"What, you don't trust me with our own descendant?" Atem asked with a slight smirk. He shook his head, "I'm just going to see if I can do more for her than you were able to. Maybe I'll be able to wake her up." He looked over to Yugi, who was looking right back at him with curious eyes, "You trust me, right, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded once, almost immediately. If there was ever going to be anyone he would trust with Mariah, it was Atem, "I do," He said certainly. "Of course I do."

Atem smiled slightly and closed his eyes. He felt himself connect with Mariah's mind and he started to search for her spirit, "Mariah?" He called out tentatively. He found himself more than slightly amused with the bright colors, mostly vibrant shades of blue, that filled her mind. The walls were covered with different things, Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician posters, pictures, there were random bits and pieces of her childhood still left, toys, video games, even a stray Duel Monsters card or two that Atem was certain contained the Dark Magician Girl. He looked around, listening carefully. He then heard the soft sounds of someone crying. His eyes flashed and he started to follow the sound, finally finding Mariah curled up in a corner, but she wasn't alone.

"Dark Magician Girl?" Atem questioned, seeing the blonde Duel Monster who was trying to comfort Mariah, stroking her hair gently and letting her cry on her. He walked over and knelt down in front of Mariah and tilted his head, "Mariah, it's okay. You're safe, nothing's going to happen to you." He reached out to touch her arm, but Mariah jumped and flinched away.

"It's not wise to try and touch her," Dark Magician Girl said in a soft voice. "A man touching her is what led her to this state."

Atem raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the hand with which she was stroking Mariah's hair and back softly. The Dark Magician Girl smiled, "I'm neither a man, nor human," She reminded him. "In fact, I'm pretty sure you're wondering what I'm doing here in the first place." When Atem nodded, she went on, "I'm Mariah's guardian. Very much like the spirits that used to protect you in the past, I protect her in the present. While I can't physically leave Mariah's mind like the spirits of the past, I help guide her and keep her safe. But sometimes, there are things I can't even protect her from, like that man tonight."

"We're trying to figure out what happened," Atem said, realizing that Mariah was suddenly silent. He looked down at her and saw her green eyes watching him carefully. He sighed softly in relief, though the look she was giving him had him nervous about what was going through her mind. "All that the three of us know is that the man took her and was holding her in that room."

Dark Magician Girl nodded, "That's part of it," She said. "What you didn't see was that he found her at the bar of that club, waiting for her drink. He started to talk to her and she blew him off, going to find the bartender. When she had her back turn, he injected something into her arm and her whole mind started going hazy. I couldn't protect her."

"You shouldn't have had to," Mariah said suddenly, sitting up a bit straighter. She looked over to her guardian, "I should have been more aware off everything around me. I just..." She looked over to Atem, "I saw Tea with all of you at the table. I was going to get my credit card back from the bartender so I could go back to the table and tell Tea off. I was so angry about tea being there that I forgot to keep my guard up and he slipped right past it."

Atem sighed softly. He didn't know Mariah very well, but she seemed to have a mind that was usually in the right place, "Mariah," He said at last. "You're going to be okay though. As long as I am here with Mana and Yugi is by your side, I promise you, none of us are going to let you get hurt again."

Mariah smirked up at Atem, who couldn't help but feel like she was finally starting to relax around him, "In our world, do you really think it's possible to make a promise like that?"

Atem shrugged, "It's better to hope for it than to sit here waiting for something to go wrong," He reasoned. He suddenly remembered why he had come to find Mariah in the first place and he tilted his head, "You were screaming," He said in a soft voice.

"I'm scared, Atem," Mariah said with a shake of her head, sitting up from Dark Magician girl's lap slightly. She moved her fingers through her long hair before she wiped at her tearstained face. "This is the first time in my life that I've ever felt that I was helpless. I know that if I would have been more aware of my surroundings-"

"Mariah, stop," Atem said with a shake of his head. He reached out and touched her shoulder, not missing the way that she flinched. "You don't know that for a fact. That man wanted you for some reason. I know that you're strong and able to defend yourself, but this man wanted you. I don't want to think about _what_ exactly he wanted you for, but I doubt you would have been able to stop him." He paused at Mariah glared at him and he shook his head again, "I'm not saying that to hurt you, Mariah, but you need to realize, he had it out for you right from the start."

"Well I want to find out why," Mariah said simply. She stood up and looked Atem in the eyes, "I want to know why _me_ out of hundreds of girls in the club, why it had to be me. And _don't_ give me that look. I'm not going to go running off to find him any time soon, but one day..."

Atem nodded once. He knew Mariah might never find the answer out, but that wasn't what she needed to hear right at that moment, "Mana and Yugi are both worried about you too," He said, trying to change the subject, knowing that Mariah might be angry and in pain, but if there was anybody that could help her at that moment, it would be Yugi. "I want to try something to help wake you up, if you'll let me."

Mariah nodded eagerly, not missing the way her own heart jolted slightly at the mention of Yugi's name. She knew Atem was the one with Shadow Powers, which had enabled him to come and make sure that she was okay, but Yugi was really the one that she wanted right then. Atem closed his eyes and a black energy surrounded both of them. Mariah gasped softly as her mind started to glow and disappear around her.

* * *

><p>"Mariah!"<p>

Mariah gasped as she sat up, her heart racing while she looked around Yugi's room. Before she even knew what was happening, she was tackled by a mass of tri-colored hair as Yugi hugged her. She tensed up for a moment before she hugged Yugi back, "My Yugi," She said in a soft voice, inhaling his familiar scent, her entire body seeming to relax as she did so. She looked over Yugi's shoulder and smiled at Atem, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to him.

Atem nodded once and motioned to Mana to follow him out of the room, leaving Mariah alone with Yugi. Mariah flopped back against the pillows, sitting up against them, Yugi leaning against her, "Are you okay?" He asked, reaching out and caressing her cheek.

Mariah nodded and smiled weakly, moving her hand along Yugi's back. She gently pulled on his shirt and looked pointedly to the bed beside her, and Yugi happily slid into bed beside her. Once Yugi settled himself on the bed, Mariah put her head down on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The sound reminded her that she was safe with him. It wasn't until she felt Yugi stroking her hair that she realized she had yet to say more than two words to him. That was one of the things she tended to like about Yugi; sometimes she didn't need to speak around him, he just knew.

"How did you all manage to find me?" She asked at last, looking up into Yugi's amethyst eyes. "I wasn't sure if you would find me before that man managed to do more than just drug me."

"I actually noticed something was wrong to begin with thanks to you," Yugi said, the memory coming back to the surface of his mind instantly. "somehow your power reversed and projected your emotions to me." He shifted just slightly as a shudder passed through his body that didn't go missed by Mariah. "It was painful, actually, and all I could feel was fear and pain. Is that what it's like for you whenever I get angry?"

Mariah nodded once as she linked her fingers with Yugi's, "It's usually this strong jolt that shoots from my head, down my spine, to my toes. It's usually quick, but plenty painful in those few seconds." She glanced at the clock and her eyes widened slightly, "Hell, it's almost five in the morning, Yugi. How are you still awake?"

"A lot of coffee," Yugi said with a soft sigh, going back to playing with Mariah's hair with his free hand. He found something soothing in the knowledge that Mariah was at least awake. He could tell there was something bothering her that she wasn't saying, but he wasn't going to push her on it. "I think I might just keep the store closed tomorrow," He mused as he yawned, already feeling like he was ready to pass out after Mariah mentioned something about sleep.

"I don't know if we _can_ keep it closed all day," Mariah said with a frown. "Sunday's usually our busiest day, but not until the afternoon. Maybe we can open late?"

Yugi nodded as he turned on his side, holding Mariah close to him while she held onto her Dark Magician Girl doll and cuddled up to him. While she wasn't certain that she would sleep herself, she would be happy to know that Yugi would be getting some rest. She leaned up and kissed him softly before she turned around and switched off the lamp and cuddled back up to him, "I love you, my Yugi," She said in a soft voice, already able to tell that Yugi was on his way to dreamland.

* * *

><p>Mariah watched the room steadily grow lighter around her and Yugi. She was relieved that while she was not able to return to sleep, at least Yugi was able to sleep. She decided that it was going to be another one of those long days, and while keeping the shop closed all day sounded like a good idea, she knew that financially, it would be a bad one.<p>

She finally thought of someone who might be able to help her run the shop if Yugi wanted to stay in and sleep. She turned around carefully in Yugi's arms and reached out for her cell phone. She sent a quick text and suddenly felt something creeping along her back. She jumped and twisted slightly, winding up falling out of the bed with a cry of pain. She looked up to see Yugi looking at her through guilty violet eyes.

"Mariah..."

"I'm fine," Mariah said, rubbing her back with a soft sigh. She'd be feeling that for a few days. Before she could say anything else, Yugi was beside her, holding out his hand to help her up. Mariah gratefully took his hand and stood up beside him with a wince.

"I'm sorry," He said in a soft voice. "I should have realized you might be a little jumpy after last night."

"It's okay," Mariah said with a shake of her head. "I just didn't realize you were awake. I was trying to let you sleep as long as possible." She gave a little shake of her back as a chill passed through it, "Were you just kissing my back?"

"I was," Yugi said with a soft sigh. "Next time I'll give you a little warning that I'm actually awake."

Mariah rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. Usually she was able to tell when Yugi was awake due to the emotions that radiated off of him, but she didn't feel the need to point that out. She sat back down on the bed, rubbing at her lower back, "I called in some reinforcements for today, if you want to stay in bed," She told Yugi as she rolled her neck with a soft sigh.

"Shouldn't you be the one staying in bed?" Yugi asked, tilting his head slightly. He knew the likely reason that Mariah was so eager to get to work, but he also didn't want her to tire herself out completely. "You haven't gone back to sleep at all, have you?"

"That's what coffee is for," Mariah said in a soft singsong tone. She sighed and stretched before she stood once again, "I'm going to start a pot of coffee, shower, and then I'll open the shop. Whether you want to join me is completely up to you."

She headed for the door and tilted her head slightly as she felt the worry emanating from Yugi, "Really, Yugi," She said in a soft voice as she turned around to face him. She walked back over to him and rested her forehead against his, her hand on his cheek. "I'll be okay. I'll put in a good day of work today, and then go to sleep early tonight. I'll only have one cup of coffee too, so you know I won't be bouncing around all night."

Yugi nodded once and sighed softly. It was often hard for him to argue with Mariah. Though he himself had no inclination to want to work that day, he knew Mariah wanted a distraction, so if she wanted to work, he wouldn't stop her.

"You mentioned you were bringing in reinforcements to help you run the shop today," Yugi remembered suddenly. "Who'd you ask to come help you?"

Mariah smirked as she stood up straight, "An old friend."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Mariah headed down to the Game Shop, a cup of coffee between her hands as the doorbell rang. She smiled as she looked up and walked over to the door and unlocked it to let the blond male in, "Joey, there you are."

Before her stood Joey Wheeler, Yugi's best friend, and somehow, he'd become her friend too. She had a soft spot when it came to Joey as she knew a lot of his history with Yugi, and he always seemed to stay loyal to the man who she loved, so she couldn't really find a reason to not like him.

"Thanks for callin' me, Mariah," Joey said in his usual Brooklyn accent. He moved a hand through his blond hair and looked around, "Where's Yug' at?"

"Back in bed, I hope," Mariah said as she started to turn on the lights to the shop as she walked over to the cash register and started to load it with the money that was stored in a safe in upstairs in the house. She motioned for Joey to follow her, "He didn't sleep much last night, sadly. So how much is it costing me to have you help me out today?"

Joey laughed softly and shook his head, "Whatever you want to pay me, Mariah. I'm just doing you a favor so Yugi can rest. You pay me what you want to pay me, I know you'll be fair." He moved behind the counter and started to turn the lights in the display cases. "Hey, toss me that rag, Mariah?"

Mariah smirked and tossed the rag over to Joey and nodded, "Thanks, Joey. Seems like calling you _was_ a good idea."

"You know, Mariah, that smirk of yours... it's been botherin' me for a while now," Joey said as he rubbed down the glass display cases. "It reminds me so much of someone and I jus' can't put my finger on it."

"You mean me?"

Mariah's smirk grew as Atem appeared in the Game Shop, an amused look on his face. She watched as Joey's eyes widened and he jumped a bit, "Nyeh! You! Aren't you... dead?"

Atem laughed softly, "It's nice to see you too, Joey," He said nonchalantly. He crossed his arms over his chest, "To answer your question, yes, technically, it's been five thousand years since I've been alive, but my wife and I both have magic at our disposal so we decided to come visit Mariah and Yugi for a few days."

"Your... wife?" Joey blinked and looked at Mariah in confusion. Mariah rolled her eyes and facepalmed, finding herself amused with Joey's obliviousness.

"Hello, where the hell have you been?" Mariah asked Joey, a disbelieving look on her face. "Yami went back to Ancient Egypt and stayed there with Mana, remember? He then stayed with her because he gave up part of his own soul to save her's and her life depended on him being close to her."

Atem arched a brow at Mariah, "Did you just call me 'Yami'?" He asked, an amused look on his face. "Wow, it's been a long time since anyone's called me that."

Mariah shook her head, "I don't know why I just said that. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm only awake now because I've been drinking this coffee. Yugi told me that was what they called you before they knew your real name."

Atem nodded once, "It's definitely better than being called 'the nameless Pharaoh,' you know," He said with a soft chuckle. "Mariah, you're dead on your feet, are you _sure_ you want to open the shop today?"

Mariah nodded once, "Trust me, Atem, I'll be fine. That's why I've got Joey here with me." Her eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously, "Yugi told you to come down here and try to convince me to not open the shop, didn't he?"

Atem recognized the look in Mariah's eyes all too well and before she could say anything else, he vanished with several wisps of shadow tendrils. Mariah rolled her eyes and growled, "Coward," She mumbled under her breath. She turned to Joey, a smile reappearing on her face, "Anyway, anything I can get you before we open up the shop and get flooded with kids?"

"I'm ready when you are, Mariah," Joey said with a nod. "Let the craziness begin."

* * *

><p>Three solid hours passed by with no major problems or issues. Mariah made a note that they were running low on several types of Duel Monsters card packs so she would remember to call the distributor on Monday to order more. She had to admit, working with Joey, much like working with Yugi, was a good experience. During the rushes, he was on top of things, helping customers and making conversation with them, and during the lulls, he was just good company. She was laughing at a joke Joey had just told her when the chiming of the bell above the door caught her attention. She swept her hair out of her face as she heard a soft 'uh-oh' from Joey.<p>

Mariah's eyes blazed as she saw Tea walking up to the counter, "If you're looking for Yugi, he's taking the day off today," Mariah said coldly as she hopped off the stool she had been sitting on and walked around the counter. "Feel free to leave; we don't appreciate trash in the shop."

Tea's cold laugh made Mariah's skin crawl. A cold glare appeared on Mariah's face as her eyes narrowed at the taller brunette in front of her, "Sorry to disappoint you, Mariah, but actually, as shocking as it might be, I was looking for you."

"Me?" Mariah repeated, a disbelieving look coming to her face though her eyes remained cold. "What the hell could you want with me?"

"Are you, perhaps, missing something?" Tea asked, tilting her head to the side, a smirk on her face. Mariah felt her heart start to race as she arched a brow at Tea.

"I'm not missing anything," Mariah said as her hand instantly went to her neck, feeling the necklace that she never took off before she relaxed slightly. "Not anything that I know of, anyway."

Tea made a soft 'tsk' sound with her tongue as the smug look on her face grew, "So you _didn't_ carelessly forget your credit card at a club last night?" She asked, holding up the thin card between her fingers. Mariah's eyes widened as she launched for Tea, who instantly pulled her hand back, causing Mariah to slam into one of the counter displays, scattering Duel Monsters booster packs everywhere.

"Fucking bitch," Mariah snarled after wincing at the mess she had just made. "Give me back my credit card! Why the hell would you want it?"

"To see you squirm?" Tea suggested with a shrug.

Mariah growled softly and Joey saw her eyes blaze before he decided to step in between the two females, "Tea, can't you just give Mariah her card back? What's the point of all of this?"

"Mariah knows," Tea said simply and Joey pulled roughly on the back of Mariah's shirt as she ducked under his arm.

"What I know is that you're a jealous girl who's in love with someone else's boyfriend," Mariah snapped, struggling against the hold Joey had on her shirt. She was going to kill him too if he wound up tearing it. She glared over her shoulder at him and when she looked back at Tea, a sharp pain lashed across her face. She cried out as she realized what Tea had done to her, slapping her hard across her face.

"_That's it!_" Mariah snarled and pulled away from Joey. She'd had enough. All the times she'd just walked away from Tea's remarks and comments... it was more than enough. She launched for Tea and shoved her back against the counter, holding the front of her shirt, ready to lash back at her.

"What's going on down here?"

"Yugi!" Both Mariah and Tea said at the same time. Tea took advantage of Mariah's distraction to shove her into a display of Pokemon plushies, causing her to fall over. The shop was suddenly filled with three new people, Yugi, Atem, and Mana, all of them looking around the mess of a shop.

"_What_ are you doing, Tea?" Yugi demanded, his eyes blazing as he went to help Mariah get out of the pile of stuffed Pikachus, Eevees, and various starter Pokemon.

"She has my credit card," Mariah growled as she took Yugi's hand and let him pull her up. "And if she doesn't give it back to me, I _will_ rearrange not only her face, but her entire body."

"You mean this credit card?" Atem asked, holding the thin plastic card between his fingers. Mariah blinked. How the hell had that happened? Then she remembered the powers that Atem possessed and she shook her head.

"Thank you, Atem," Mariah said gratefully with a soft sigh as she relaxed slightly. She turned her attention back to Tea.

"I only came here to return it to her," Tea said, her tone now completely innocent. She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest, "She's the one who came for me. All she had to do was ask nicely."

"Like hell," Mariah growled. She shook her head and started to walk to Atem, but as she walked by her, Tea moved as well. Acting on instinct, Mariah jumped back and slammed into someone, sending them into the glass display counter. The sound of shattering glass reached Mariah's ears as she heard someone gasp.

"Oh, no! Yugi!"

* * *

><p>Mariah felt low. Lower than the lowest form of life. She sat in a corner of the store, Yugi's head on her lap as Mana worked on his side. When she had jumped back from Tea, she'd knocked Yugi into the glass counter and the force of her pushing him into it had caused it to shatter and the glass to embed itself in his side where he hit it. He'd been knocked unconscious, and Mariah felt like it was all her fault.<p>

"He's going to be okay, you know," Atem said in a soft voice, not missing the pained look in Mariah's eyes. It hurt him because she really did look so much like Mana that it was like seeing his own wife with that same expression on her face. He turned his attention back to Mana, who had numbed Yugi's side with her powers and went to work on healing him, "Right, Mana?"

"Of course," Mana said positively, smiling up at Mariah. She finished up with the healing and sighed softly, "I've healed him both internally and externally. I made the glass disappear and his skin mend, so he'll be just fine."

"Thank you, Mana," Mariah said in a soft, choked up voice. She still couldn't believe she had been so careless. Yugi was right, they should have kept the store closed that day. If she had just listened, Yugi wouldn't have gotten hurt because Tea would have never been around.

"Anytime," Mana said with a reassuring smile. She stood up and walked to Mariah, giving her a hug around her shoulders, "Don't be so hard on yourself; it was an accident."

"Yeah, a lot of those seem to happen to Yugi thanks to me," Mariah said with a soft sigh. Her heart jumped slightly as she heard a soft groan and she looked down to see Yugi wince as he looked back up at her.

"Wow, were the lights always that bright?" He asked, rubbing his eyes a bit. He looked up and smiled as his eyes focused on Mariah, "Well, that's a nice sight to wake up to."

Mariah's cheeks burned as she looked away from Yugi, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular, but she just couldn't look back at him, not with the way she was feeling inside. A frown appeared on Yugi's face and he reached up to caress Mariah's cheek, "Mariah?"

"This is my fault, you know," Mariah said in a low voice, refusing to look back down at Yugi. "I should have realized you were behind me before I jumped like that. I never meant for you to get hurt like that." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "You know _all_ of this is happening because of me, right? Me getting targeted last night and now you getting hurt, the shop is a wreck... I'm so sorry, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head, "Mariah, those weren't your fault though," He said as he sat up with a wince. He turned around and sat on his knees as he faced Mariah, looking into the green eyes of the young woman he loved and cared about. He turned her head gently, forcing her to look at him. "I don't blame you, Mariah, I really don't, and please, don't put the blame on yourself."

"Easier said than done," Mariah said as she got to her feet, feeling as if it hurt to look into Yugi's eyes. As she got up though, she felt a wave of emotions hit her like a hammer. She gasped softly and doubled over, her hand resting on the counter. She glanced over her shoulder at Yugi, "Why...?"

"Because that's how it feels knowing that this is all something that you blame yourself for," Yugi said, standing up and walking over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and Mariah felt the feelings suddenly start to fade, "Tea wants you to feel this way, Mariah. She's trying to break us apart and you can't let her do that. You need to prove to her and to yourself that you're really stronger than she is."

"And if I don't believe that I am?" Mariah asked in a low voice, her breathing a little ragged from the emotions that had hit her. "Tea's been through a lot more in her life than I've been in mine. She's been through all those tournaments with you, whether it was Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, the Virtual World, Atlantis, or even Ancient Egypt, _she_ was there. What have I ever done to amount to her strength?"

"You never left me after my grandfather passed away."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I realized, as I was going through this story, that I never really spent much time focusing on Yugi and Mariah's relationship, so just... expect some of that coming up in the next chapter. That's all I'm going to say, considering I haven't written it yet ;)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: With this chapter, the rating goes up. Forgive me, anyone underage who reads this, but... yeah. Let's just say Yugi isn't always as innocent as he seems ;)**

Chapter 6

Mariah found that after the day's events, her body was more than ready for sleep by the time nine o'clock rolled around. Keeping true to her word to Yugi, she decided to head to sleep early and get a full, good night's rest. She curled up in Yugi's bed, knowing that he would join her at some point, and she was asleep before she even knew any time had passed. At some point during the night, she felt Yugi's arms go around her and hold her close, but other than that, she remained in a deep sleep throughout the night.

The next morning, Mariah woke up and once again found herself alone. She frowned and looked around the room. The bathroom was silent, so she knew Yugi couldn't be in there. With a soft sigh she looked at the clock. It read 10:03. Mariah's heart jolted. The shop was supposed to be open at nine! Why hadn't her alarm gone off? She shot up from the bed, not bothering to get dressed, and she headed for the door. When she reached it, however, and tried to walk out, she found that she was unable to pass through the doorway. She blinked, not understanding what was going on. It was as if the air in front of her had solidified into a barrier of sorts, keeping her inside the bedroom.

Her heart racing, she looked up at the ceiling, "YUGI!"

"You don't need to scream _that_ loudly," An amused voice said from behind her. Mariah jumped slightly as she saw Atem sitting in the chair by Yugi's desk that had been vacant moments earlier. "What's wrong?"

"Why can't I get out of the room?" Mariah asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at Atem, who looked entirely too relaxed for her liking. "And where's Yugi? It's past ten! Shouldn't the shop be open by now?"

Atem's smirk appeared and instantly Mariah knew something was going on that she wasn't aware about, "Mana and I are going to run the shop today," He said, his tone cautious, as though he was waiting for an explosion. When Mariah simply arched an eyebrow at him, he went on, "Yugi and you both deserve a day off after what happened yesterday."

"So you lock me in Yugi's bedroom?" Mariah asked, her confusion growing slightly. "And how did you even do that?"

Atem's smirk returned as the Millennium Puzzle glowed and the all too familiar Millennuim mark appeared on his forehead, "You really have to ask? Yugi asked me to create a barrier that only someone wearing the Millennium Puzzle can pass through. It wasn't really hard for me to create."

Mariah sighed, "I _wish_ I had Mana's powers so I could get out of here. What's the point in keeping me locked in here, anyway?"

"Because Yugi wasn't entirely sure that you'd agree to taking a day off."

"And I don't," Mariah said firmly. "I have to call the distributor to order more Duel Monster booster packs, I have to clean up that mess and call up a repair man to fix that damn display counter..." She pressed her fingers to her temples and sighed as Atem gave her a worried look, "I'm fine."

"Mariah, stop worrying," Atem said, getting up from the chair and walking over to her. "Mana and I know what needs to get done today. We'll get it all done and you and Yugi get the whole day to just stay in bed and do what you want. Is that really so bad?"

Mariah thought for a moment and sighed once again, rolling her eyes, "I guess not," She said at last. She smiled at Atem, "So where _is_ Yugi?"

"He's downstairs cooking," Atem said with a nod. "He heard you scream bloody murder and asked me to come up here to calm you down so he could keep cooking."

Mariah smiled at Atem, "He better be careful; I might not let you and Mana go back to Egypt if this is how helpful you two are going to be around here."

Atem merely winked at Mariah before he vanished as the sound of footsteps reached Mariah's ears. Mariah turned to see Yugi walk in as though the barrier didn't exist, though his Millennium Puzzle glowed slightly as he did so. In hands there was a tray with a breakfast for two that smelled heavenly, and as her stomach growled, Mariah forgot her anger, for the time being.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" Yugi asked, setting the tray on the desk before he looked guiltily at Mariah. Mariah frowned as she thought about that question for a moment. She was still responsible for him getting hurt the night before because she knocked into him. What right did _she_ have to be angry at him?

"Of course not," Mariah said, sitting down on the bed. She smiled at Yugi and motioned for him to come join her on the bed. She wrapped her arms around him when he was close enough and she sighed contently, "I was just worried for a minute there when I couldn't get out of the room and you weren't here. I think everything with Tea has made me a little more jumpy than I normally am."

Yugi hugged Mariah back and kissed her forehead, "Which is exactly why I think you and I deserve a day off with nothing to do and no one to bother us," He said as he held her close for a few moments. "I made your favorite breakfast, by the way."

Mariah inhaled slowly once more and realized why her mouth was watering so badly, "Oh, Yugi, you didn't," She said with a soft moan as she took a closer look at the tray, "Chocolate chip pancakes? Really? God, you're so amazing..."

"I also brought these up," Yugi said, holding up several DVDs, a mix of both his and her favorite movies, "I figured we could watch some of our favorites, maybe play a few rounds of Super Smash Bros..."

"Sounds _amazing_," Mariah said, and to her, it truly did. She felt like she was definitely going to enjoy a day off, even if she was just trapped in a room with Yugi. Even that would have it's perks.

* * *

><p>After watching both <em>The Lion King<em> and _Aladdin_, both of their favorite Disney movies, Mariah was feeling more lazy than she could ever remember feeling. She was curled up against Yugi, her head down on his chest, while his fingers played with her hair, "I swear, I'm not much of a romantic, but there's just _something_ about _Aladdin_..." Mariah groaned softly as she reluctantly sat up, her muscles needing a good stretch. "I always feel all mushy inside after I watch it."

"I didn't know that you actually can get mushy," Yugi teased, pulling lightly on Mariah's hair, "Come back here. I was comfortable."

Mariah stuck her tongue out at Yugi, "So was I. But I think I want to go shower. Especially after laying in bed for a good four hours or so while watching Disney movies." She leaned over and kissed Yugi softly, "I promise, I'll make it a quick shower and then you can cuddle with me all you want."

Yugi watched as Mariah left to go take her shower. He decided that while she showered, he was going to go find them something to snack on. He walked into the silent kitchen, knowing that Mana and Atem were down in the shop working. He went to the fridge, hoping to find some water, but what he found there got an amused look out of him. There was a small bowl filled with chocolate covered strawberries. Yugi was more than a little certain that those hadn't been there earlier. He took the bowl out, along with two water bottles, and noticed a small note attached to the fridge with a magnet.

_Enjoy! Love, Mana_

Yugi smiled and made a mental note to thank Mana when he next saw her. He returned to the bedroom, his puzzle once again glowing as he walked through the invisible barrier and closed the door behind him. He put the strawberries and water down on the desk and settled on the bed to wait for Mariah to come out of the shower. He flicked through the television channels lazily, not really interested in what was on though. He just wanted to go back to watching movies with Mariah. He looked to the small pile of DVDs on the floor. Next on the pile was _Mean Girls_. Yugi knew it to be one of Mariah's favorite movies, and he even found himself enjoying it for the hilarity of it. He reached down to pick it up, deciding to get it ready for when Mariah came out of the shower, and as he placed it in the DVD player, he heard the bathroom door open.

"What are we watching next?" Mariah asked as she walked back into the room, moving her fingers through her curtain of wet hair. Yugi held up the case as he closed the DVD player and Mariah grinned, "Excellent."

Yugi turned around and his face burned slightly as he realized Mariah was walking around in only her fluffy bath robe, "M-Mariah?"

Mariah arched a brow as a playful smirk appeared on her face as she took a bite of a chocolate covered strawberry, "Oh, please, Yugi, don't act like you haven't seen me in less than this. All of a sudden you're shy?"

Yugi's expression relaxed as the initial shock wore off and he shook his head, "No, it's not that... you just look... beautiful."

A smile came to Mariah's face, "You don't look so bad yourself, my Yugi," She said with a wink. She sat back down on the bed, more than ready to spend some more time with the man she loved. "Come on, let's watch the movie and munch on these," She said, holding up the bowl. "Where did these come from, anyway?"

"Courtesy of Mana," Yugi said as he joined Mariah on the bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, balancing the bowl of strawberries between them as he pressed the play button on the remote. As the movie started and he held Mariah close, however, he became less interested in the movie as he inhaled the vanilla scent of Mariah's body wash. He inhaled slowly through his nose and her scent filled his lungs. He leaned down and nuzzled her cheek, continuing to breathe in the sweet scent, before he kissed her there.

Mariah had sensed the shift in Yugi's emotions and her own heart started to race slightly. She bit down on her lower lip and tilted her head slightly to the side, giving Yugi access to her neck, access, which he immediately took advantage of, kissing and nipping her there. A soft moan escaped her lips and she clawed gently at the bedsheets before she suddenly shifted. She moved so that she was straddling Yugi's lap, moving the bowl of strawberries back over to the desk. She gave Yugi a mischievous look, biting down on her lower lip once again, "Want something?"

Yugi gave her a look over, her bathrobe seeming to tease him with how low it went, before he nodded once. Mariah's eyes narrowed challengingly as she moved her fingers through Yugi's hair, "Well, then I suggest you act like the man you are, and take it," She said simply. She leaned forward ever so slightly and as Yugi inhaled her scent once more, he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. His tongue glided along her lower lip before she parted her lips for him with a soft moan. His tongue met her's, and it was then that he knew Mariah wasn't just going to give in easily, their tongues battling for control.

**(AN: Mature content starts here.)**

Yugi growled softly as they parted, both of their breathing ragged. He pulled Mariah's hair gently before he flipped their positions, Mariah now under him. Mariah wasn't going to give up control that easily though. She pulled Yugi back down to her, kissing him deeply once again. She tasted Yugi once more as their tongues met, and she felt a pleasurable heat start to spread through her body.

"Yugi," She breathed softly against his lips, her heart racing against her ribcage. Her cheeks flushed and she moved ever so slightly to pull Yugi's shirt up over his head, her lips almost immediately latching onto his neck, kissing and nipping him gently. As she bit down gently over his pulse point, a soft hiss escaped Yugi's lips, and she knew she was done for.

"You little tease," Yugi hissed at her as she started to kiss along his collarbone. _If there is anything that this woman knows how to do, it's how to drive me up the freaking wall..._ He thought as a soft moan escaped his lips. He pulled on the knot of Mariah's bathrobe and let the fluffy fabric fall away. The sight of Mariah's bare body sent a feeling of want and need through him that he had only ever experienced with her before. He reluctantly pulled away from her slightly, only so he could move closer and tend to her.

Yugi kissed Mariah softly before he started a trail of kisses down along Mariah's jawline, down her neck, to her collarbone, where he suckled softly, leaving Mariah with a mark, "Now who's teasing?" She asked, her hands clawing gently at his back. Yugi merely smirked up at her as he continued his venture down Mariah's chest. He'd been with Mariah long enough to know just where she liked to be touched, where she liked to be kissed, and how she liked those touches and kisses.

"Yugi," Mariah moaned softly as he headed down along her chest, her body arching slightly to his. Yugi inhaled the sweet vanilla scent that covered her skin once more before a hunger of sorts arose within him. He needed Mariah at that moment, but he wasn't going to rush through making her feel good. A soft cry escaped Mariah's lips as Yugi started to swirl his tongue around one of her nipples, his hand groping the other. She clawed at the sheets as her heart hammered against her ribcage. As Yugi started to suckle her, another cry slid through her lips as her own desire grew. "Oh, god," She moaned softly.

"Not quite," Yugi said with another smirk. "Though, they have called me the King of Games..."

"I'm pretty sure they didn't mean these type of games!" Mariah shot back, her heart continuing to hammer against her ribs. "Please, Yugi... stop the teasing..."

She reached out and rubbed at the front of Yugi's jeans as she pulled him down to her. She kissed him softly, her tongue exploring his mouth as she slid his belt off with one hand, her other hand playing with his hair. Once his belt was off, she slid her hand beneath his boxers, finding the one thing she sought at that moment with ease. She closed her hand around him, starting to stroke him softly, a moan traveling from his lips to hers as she did so. Mariah continued to kiss Yugi as she felt him harden in her hand, her motions starting to speed up ever so slightly. After being with Yugi for almost 7 months, she too knew just how he liked to be treated.

When Yugi finally pulled away from her, Mariah frowned. She had been enjoying kissing him, but as she watched Yugi remove his pants and his boxers, leaving him as bare as she was, her eyes widened ever so slightly before they glazed over with lust. As Yugi positioned himself between her legs, Mariah smirked, biting down on her lower lip, "Show me what you've got, King of Games," She challenged.

Yugi growled softly at Mariah's teasing, but as he thrust into her, the sound of pleasure that escaped her lips was very satisfying. The two started to move together as Yugi buried himself inside Mariah, soft moans and sounds of pleasure sarting to fill the room. While they didn't often act on their more passionate feelings, when they did, it was amazing to both of them.

"Yugi, more please," Mariah pleaded with him as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. Yugi obliged, starting to thrust into her at a more rapid pace, her body arching up against his.

"Mmm, my Mariah," Yugi moaned as he sought his release, the pleasurable feelings building up inside of him, and the sight of Mariah below him, just added to those feelings. "God... so beautiful," He said in a soft voice as he leaned down to kiss her.

Mariah moaned softly against his lips as she moved in sync with him, her muscles all tightening, wanting only one thing. Her eyes rolled back as she arched against him a bit more, her end near, "Yugi," She said, his name the one thing on her mind as she felt her body overtaken by the pleasure. She held him close as she rode out the waves of pleasure that suddenly crashed down on her, another cry of his name escaping her lips.

Within moments, Yugi's own body trembled hard against Mariah's, until he finally couldn't last any longer. With a cry of his love's name, he came deep inside her, his heart thundering against his ribs, his breathing ragged, "Mariah..." He moaned softly as he slid out of her, collapsing beside her.

Mariah almost instantly curled up against him, her own heart finally slowing, her breathing still rapid. She put her head down on his chest and sighed contently, "My Yugi..." She looked up into the amethyst eyes of the man that she loved and she kissed his cheek softly, "Remind me to thank Atem for locking me in here later," She said with a wink as she started to doze off.

Yugi pulled the blanket over them both and smiled to himself, _I'll have to thank him too_, He thought as he idly played with Mariah's hair, watching her as she rested. It wasn't long before he joined her in that rest, his arms holding her close.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: From Disney movies to... yeah XD I hope that wasn't too horrible. Let's just say my Yami side came out a bit and she wanted something more interesting to read. Anyway, in the next chapter, I promise to tone it down a bit. (I just hope I didn't lose myself too many readers ^^;)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: For some reason FF was extremely late on updating when I put the last chapter up, so I'm sincerely hoping that this doesn't happen with this chapter too... anyways, I'm probably not going to do anymore M-rated chapters, and I'm considering just editing the last chapter a bit** **so I can take the rating back down, I just wanted to experiment a bit though... Either way, let's get on with it, shall we?**

Chapter 7

Mariah sighed softly and stretched, her back cracking softly as she did so. She felt very relaxed for a change. There was nothing for her to worry about at that moment. Tea wasn't around, Yugi was sleeping peacefully, and the shop was, hopefully, being taken care of. She got out of bed and got dressed for the first time that day, despite the fact that the sun was going down. She got into her favorite jeans and a comfy t-shirt, before she realized, she was still trapped in the room. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she glanced around. Yugi was still asleep, and she had no idea how long he would be out, and if Atem was down in the shop, there was no way he'd hear her from up in Yugi's room. With a shake of her head, she took Yugi's Millennium Puzzle off of the nightstand and put it around her neck. She sighed in relief as she was able to easily walk through the invisible barrier, the puzzle glowing slightly.

She walked down through the quiet house into the game shop, walking up silently behind Atem, feeling like she owed it to him after all the times he'd snuck up on her. She was starting to wonder whether it was just something he enjoyed doing for the hell of it, "How are things going?"

Atem jumped slightly and turned to face Mariah, his heart racing a bit, "How'd you get Yugi to let you out?"

"Yugi is asleep," Mariah said with an amused look as she held up the Millennium Puzzle. "It's _really_ not nice to try and lock someone up, Atem. I would think that you'd know that, being trapped in a puzzle for five thousand years. Some people get very restless when they're confined."

"Are you _really_ about to complain about the fact that you just had an entire day off?" Atem asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"No," Mariah said with a shake of her head. "I'm just saying." She smiled over at Mana, "So how have you two been doing this all day, exactly? Considering, you know, Mana looks exactly like me except for my smirk, and you're Yugi's double except for your narrower eyes, height, and the three lightning bolts that go up into your spikes."

"Mariah, you don't recognize your own twin?" Mana asked as she bounced over to them, wrapping her arms around Mariah's shoulders. "And you should know by now that Atem's Yugi's cousin from Egypt. What's wrong with you?"

Mariah laughed softly and leaned back a bit against Mana, "How forgetful of me," She said with a nod. "By the way, Atem, you might want to undo the spell you put on Yugi's door. He's not going to be able to get out if I'm holding his puzzle down here.

Indeed, as she said it, the yell reached her ears, "_MARIAH!_"

"Jeeze, is that how I sounded this morning?" Mariah asked with a wince. She smiled guiltily as Atem shook his head and went to go free Yugi. Mariah, meanwhile, got an idea, "Hey, Mana, want to play a trick on them with me?"

Mana tilted her head, "What kind of trick?" She asked, a small smile appearing on her face. Mariah slid out of her arms and turned to face her.

"Switch our appearances," Mariah said, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she spoke, "I want to see how long it would take both of them to realize."

Mana's grin grew, "Sounds like fun to me." She held out her hand, her wand appearing instantly. They both started to glow as Mana recited a nonverbal spell, and Mariah watched as Mana's skin lightened while her own darkened. By the time she heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, she and Mana were copies of each other, both of them standing side-by-side.

"Sorry, Yugi," Mana said right no cue as Yugi appeared, Atem following him. She gestured to the Millennium Puzzle on the counter. "I just got so restless being locked up in our room like that."

"I _told_ you that you shouldn't have listened to him," Mariah added, her eyes on Atem. Despite not being around the two all day, she had a pretty good idea of how Mana and Atem interacted with each other, and it was more likely than not that they would have had such a conversation. She walked up to Atem and slapped him upside the head, "Mariah's perfectly capable of making her own decisions, Atem."

Atem winced as she slapped him and glared at her, rubbing the back of his head, "I wish you would give me a warning each time you're about to do that, Mana. That way I'd at least have a second or two to get the hell out of reach."

"What's the fun in that?" Mariah asked simply.

"Did you sleep well, Yugi?" Mana asked, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, his arm going around her waist almost instantly. Mariah watched carefully, wondering just how Yugi was going to react. Yugi's familiar smile made her heart melt just a bit as it often did. She might not look like herself, but her feelings towards Yugi went a hell of a lot deeper than that.

"I did," Yugi responded with a nod. He smiled and nuzzled Mana's cheek, Mariah making sure to keep her own feelings in check, not wanting to ruin the ruse she and Mana had going on. "I'm feeling great now, actually. I think a day of just relaxing without any other stress was just what I needed. How about you?"

"I think you might have been right," Mana said with a nod. "It was a good day. But what about tonight?"

"Oh, um..." A guilty look appeared on Yugi's face that had Mariah internally arching a brow.

"Something wrong, Yugi?" Mariah asked finally, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Joey sent me a text while we were sleeping," Yugi said at last. "He kinda asked if I'd go to a guy's night out with him and bring Atem along. Apparently Tristan's back in town and Duke's just bought himself a new house..."

"So why can't girls come, exactly?" Mariah questioned before she could stop herself. As much as she liked Joey, she knew the times that she wasn't invited, Yugi usually stumbled in around three in the morning, drunk to hell because someone slipped him something. Yugi blinked at her, a look of confusion flashing across his face. He looked from Mariah to Mana and back again.

"Mariah?" He asked, looking directly at her. Mariah sighed and moved her fingers through the dark hair that normally belonged to Mana. At that point, Atem too was suspicious. He moved away from her and looked carefully between both Mariah and Mana.

"Looks like they really pulled a switch on us," Atem said after a moment. He snapped his fingers and both Mariah and Mana returned to normal, Mana stepping away from Yugi as Mariah's eyes narrowed.

"Mariah, I-"

Mariah held up a hand and stopped Yugi, "Go then," She said simply. "But remember, if you come home at three in the morning and are stuck bent over a toilet tomorrow morning, _I_ have a shop to run." Mariah turned her eyes on Atem, "As for you, if you go with him, keep an eye on him, will you? His friends have a habit of slipping him _something_ other than alcohol."

"You know, you could trust me once in a while, Mariah," Yugi said before he could stop himself, the emotions behind his words hitting Mariah hard. Mariah's eyes flashed with pain and almost instantly she disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time as Yugi himself winced. Mariah was back within a minute, her iPod in hand, her running shoes on her feet. Without a word or a look at Yugi, she was out the door of the game shop, the door slamming behind her.

"I didn't mean that," Yugi said with a soft sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I think the problem is that you _did_ mean it," Mana said in a soft voice, a frown on her face. "I'm pretty sure that's what Mariah felt and why she left. She likes to run?"

"She was the captain of her high school's track team," Yugi said with a nod. He pointed over to a cabinet that held several of his dueling tournament trophies, along with some trophies that showed people in different running poses. "There's not many people who _can_ outrun her. It's her own way of escaping."

"Escaping?" Atem asked. It was then that he realized, as well as he knew about Yugi's family, he didn't know a thing about Mariah's. "Yugi, does she have any family?"

"She has parents and siblings," Yugi answered with a nod. "But they wanted different things for her life than what she did. Moving in with me after my grandpa passed away was one way of escaping for her, but before that, she ran. Sometimes farther than she should have. She used to turn up around here late at night with bruises and cuts from times that she wound up in the wrong neighborhoods. Grandpa actually used to think it was her parents abusing her, until he saw her run one day."

Yugi sighed softly and sat on the stool behind the counter, "I wish I would have kept my big mouth shut about going to Joey's in the first place now. But I'm damned if I do go and damned if I don't. If I go, Mariah's going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the week, and if I don't go, Joey and the rest of them are going to start on me, saying that I'm letting myself be controlled by her."

"I think you should go," Mana piped up. Yugi gave her a confused look and she went on, "Both of you. Everyone deserves to enjoy time with their friends. And who knows how much longer Atem and I are going to be here? May as well enjoy it."

"What about Mariah?" Atem asked. He thought Mana had a point, but at the same time, he didn't want to be the reason that more friction was caused between Yugi and Mariah.

Mana smiled, "We'll go out tonight too," She said after a moment. "When she comes back I'll suggest it to her, maybe we'll go to a movie or something."

"I don't know," Yugi said with a frown, rubbing his forehead.

"Don't worry!" Mana said with a grin. "Just leave everything to me!

* * *

><p>By the time Mariah returned, the sun had already started to set. The fact that the game shop was closed gave her an obvious answer to what had happened in the time that she had been gone. She unlocked the door and made sure to not trip the alarm. She climbed up the stairs slowly, her muscles aching slightly as she did so.<p>

"There you are!" Mana chirped as Mariah entered the living room. She had been sitting on the couch, using her magic to change the television channels."I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back."

Mariah shrugged. She was in a pretty bad mood and the last thing she wanted to do was talk, "I'm going to take a nice, long, hot bath and then I'm going to sleep. Good night, Mana."

Mana frowned and dashed after Mariah, "Wait," She said, causing Mariah to pause. "I was hoping you'd go out with me tonight. Since Yugi and Atem are both out, why can't we go have some fun too?"

"Mana, I love you, but I'm really not in the mood to go out tonight," Mariah said with a soft sigh. "I just pushed myself a hell of a lot further than I should have, and you know I'm not happy about the fact that Yugi went out tonight."

"Atem's with him though," Mana said with a reassuring smile. "Atem will make sure nothing happens to Yugi while they're out. Come _on_, Mariah. I'm not going to be here forever. I want to see more of what the Twenty-First Century is like."

Mariah sighed softly, "Fine, Mana," She said at last as she turned around to face her ancestor. "What do you want to do tonight?"

* * *

><p>An hour later, Mariah and Mana stood in line at a movie theater, waiting to buy tickets for <em>Batman Begins.<em> Mariah was still in a pretty bad mood, but she tried to conceal it as Mana seemed genuinely excited to be going to her first movie. Mariah paid for the tickets and led Mana into the theater, "Come on," She said with a small, forced smile. "I want to get some popcorn and something to drink before we go find our seats."

Mana nodded and followed Mariah. She could tell that Mariah still wasn't thrilled to be out, but she was thankful that she was at least making an effort for her. While they stood in line to get the snacks, someone caught Mana's eye. A man who stood a few feet away looked extremely familiar to her. She couldn't understand why; the only people she knew in this time were Mariah and Yugi and their group of friends. The man was tall and muscular, and his hair both dark and long, reaching just to his shoulders. She found it strange that the man wore his hair long, but was it really so different than any of the other weird customs of this time? Then it hit her, as the man looked up at her, she didn't know him, but she might now someone related to him.

"Mahad."


End file.
